Indicating meter dial plate adjustable mounting



Feb. 13, 1951 B, C. NEUSTRAND '2,541,174

INDICATING METER DIAL PLATE ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING Filed Sept. 4, 1947 Mimi" nl 63 73 50 BRYQYQLD c. NEUSTRAND ATTORN EY Patented Feb. 13, 1951 STATES' Batam ortica- INDICATING METER: DIALPLATE` ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING' Br-ynoid 0. Neustrand, CranfrduNb'J.; assigiiorto The Linde Air Products Company; a :corporartion'ofOhio l- Application September 4, 1947, Serial No.-772,196

2 Claims.

This invention relates :toindi'cating meters and more 4particularly to Bourdon typeffluidpressure gauges.'

When' mountedron oxygen `or acetylene gas 1 pressureA regu1ators, forexample; such gauges, unlessspecially n'ianufactured;l are subject to poe sitio'ning` which renderslthemhard to read, ben

cause the nipple: of` one gauge is generally;V

ple; when suchE positionrhappened tobe diiierent from' that .for which the :gaugev/as made,` for most convenient readingfoffthe meter;

The'main object of this inventionis to provide e ani-indicating meter :havinga dial plate which can .bei` readilvadjustedtto anyselected one of a plurality-oi` angular positions about the axis of movement of the pointer.

improved mounting-for the 'dialplate ofBourdon gauges that is simple and economical in its parts, easy to make, assemble and calibrate, and lwhich isiefiective 'andeiiicient inA use. Other objects will be apparent tothose skilledinthe -artfrom the follow-ing disclosure;-`

Accordingto thefinventionthere is provided a Bourdon typegauge, forexample; comprising a dial'and aflnipplegadapted `tozbe mounted in any desired"clocli position` with respect to `such dial', ,thegauge movement being mounted on the nipple and including` a dial pointer .movable about thecenter of the dial. Adial plate is conm' veniently mounted "for .rotary adjustment with respect.to"sueh` center, so-that the dial can be readily adjusted for most convenient reading depending uponi-l the 4 clo,ck. position of the nipple.,

Referring to the kdrawings t* Fig. l is a view in elevation'afan-indicating meter illustratingal the invention. i showing the nippleinithe 6 oclock position;

Fig.'2,is a..vertcal sectional Vetvftalren` Online Fig; 3 isa ragmentaryhorizontal sectional? view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a reduced scale view in front elevation of the meter mounted in a 9 oclock posi Another object is to i reduce the cost of manufactureA and provide a l' Bourdon' type fluid Apressure gauge of. improved Y construction.`A A iurtherobject is toprovide an i 2x tion at a right angle to that shownirrfli-g: l) with the dial plate adjusted-@tof'provide Vthe most `convenient reading; and` Figi 5y is' a ffront elevational l`vievv ofthe novel top platefof th'emovement assembly:

As Ashown in the drawing, aJ fluid pressuregauge l il is providedwhichcomprisesV a-1nipplef l2` adapted tof be mounted onagas pressure regulator M, for example; in a conventional manner.

arecess I 8 in the face ofwhich is mounteda` flat bracketZt by'screws' 22:' A-cylindri'cal protective# case 2li-having 'a back "2t-lis Iremovably lsecuredil toMtheopposite side fof the'shank ltr'byscrewsf thecase'beingfprovided` With"a\val1 openings 3 ii i Jfor `'accommodating' the lnipple l2 The bracket 28 l"is vprovided` vvithl JaL bearing 32` fo'rtherear endof a shaft-34,L4 the-frontendof which? carries anf" indicating L pointer 38:-

tion fit Ybeing preferred.4

ThezbracketZ is also gprovided with two-posts A"AEVan'd: 4l on whichfis mounted artopY plate^`42 by` screws 44.* The topV plate `42"is spaced "from" and positioned Y'parallel to the"b`racket2 EttoA proa vide room for .the movement of the gauge-which movement' includes'a crank" `4t mountedA in suitable bearings48^on the bracket`2and top plate' 42` The "crankllllas a' calibration arm till'proe vided,"in the illustrated example, vvith'A an arcuate slot 52.'in "Whichone end `of "a" link '54 fis "adjustably` connected", for Calibrating purposes.`l Th`e-- other endiof tl1'e`li'nk'54'isrpivotally connectedI to the freeiend of a Bourdon'ltube 56, tl'ieiiiedend otiivhich is anchoredto'one side of th'eshankfl t;

the interior .of `thetube being in communication- With' the inside Aof kthe nipple l2.

The crank `16"also1has air arm"A consisting of a spur gear 57 Which meshes with apinion gear 5S,

mounted on Vthe shaft 34. A coiledA hairspring ttiis connected at oneend to the shaft 3A andat'` theother to post .4l"tolurge"the return of 'the pointeritoit'slinitial position. The operation of fluid pressure gauge .oitheBourdon type is Well know-n tos those 4.skilled in. the art,` and since theA gaugevlil:operatesfin-ithe usualway, a descrip `tion thereofv lis not deemed necessary here The .top plate vl2 VofV `the movement fis `provided Withzfourdial"mounting screw holes 62 and 64,

arranged 'iri pairs; two vertical and .,two=hori,- zontal forming, infeifect, farsquare oniithe plate' 425V The holes vt2 and vtil are located ontafcircle` the center of whichwcoincides with theveenterA of the shaft"bearing'v 36 'and the diameter fof` Which"circ1e, inv the present"example,- isa-of fthe f inch. A dial plate 6G is mounted The order of for rotary adjustment on the top plate 42.

pointer'is `mountedonthe shaft 3d iso-that tl'iepointer can be rotatably adjusted to any h:de- Y sired'initiai positionwitlr'respect thereto, a fiicing the screw holes 68 Yin this fashion permitsV the dial plate 66 to be selectively positioned on the top plate 42 at 3, 6, 9, or 12 oclock positions of the nipple by simply turning it about the shaft 34, and then screwing the screws l into the matching holes.

The prior conventional dial mounting arrangement using two mounting posts on the nipple shank, necessitated drilling two dial plate holes in line with such mounting posts and the nipple, or at right angles to posts and nipple. This automatically limited the locationof the dial plate. This is in'marked contrast to the degree of flexibility achieved with the Ypresent new mounting wherein four possible positions exist; and more Vcan be provided by merely supplying any desired number of pairs of screw holes in the top plate 42. With this arrangement only two-dial mounting screw holes through the dial plate are necessary and are, in all cases, in the same and most desirable position relative to art Y work appearing on the dial plate.

A further advantage accruing from the presen new type of dial plate mounting is that, clustering the dial plate mounting screws around and substantiallyclose Vto the dial plate shaft aperture 61 in this fashion provides the greatest possible space between them and the gauge calibrationsor scale l2 on the dial plate 66 for identication labels, art Ywork and the like. Moreover, the present screw hole arrangement pro.- vides a clear view of the calibration and numbering on the dial plate.

The dial plate 66 has an annular flange 14 which nts in a recess 16 provided therefor in the case 24, and the latter is closed by a transparent cover 18 which is held in place on the front of the'protective case 24 by a removable flanged ring 8l! which screws on the oase 24.

Thus, `the cover 18 maybe easily removed for the purpose of providing access to the dial plate 66 when it is desired to change the position of such plate. At the same time the pointer 38 Ymay be adjusted to an initial position corre-Y sponding to the new dial plate setting.

It will be understood, as pointed out above, that as many positions as may be desired may be provided for the dial plate by merely increasing the number of pairs of dial plate mounting screw holes in the top plate 42. Alternatively any suitable means may be provided between the dial plate and top plate, for adjustably securing the dial plate in any selected rotary position with respect to the axis of movement of the pointer shaft, without departing from the invention.

Other features of the present invention which are believed to be novel include: (1) increasing the thickness of the movement holding portion of the shank it from e in. to 2%4 in. to reduce the milling operation performed thereon and also giving a Ystronger backing for the gauge movement; (2) repositioning the Bourdon tube 56 toward the front of the shank it by the difference between 2%4 in. and 12? in. to maintain linkage alignment and reduce the possibility of interference of the tube and protective case 24 by giving greater clearance between the back 26 of the protective case 24 and the Bourdon tube 56; and (3,) eliminating all dial plate mounting posts and assembly of such posts to the shank i6.

I claim:

l. In an indicating meter the combintion of a disk-shaped dial plate having a centralaperture, a shaft extending through said aperture, a pointer secured to said shaft for movement thereby over the face oi said dial plate, a meter-movement top plate providing a combined backing support for said dial plate and bearing for said shaft, said top plate having at least two pairs of screw-threaded holes equally spaced radially from said bearing, said dial plate having only one pair of holes suitably spaced from said aperture for selective alignment with either pair of said two screw-threaded holes, and a pair of screws cooperating with the aligned holes and clamping said dial plate immovably in place on said top plate in the desired position, the pointer being secured to said shaft for adjustment with respect to the shaft about such axis so that the initial position of the pointer can be set to correspond to the selected position of said dial 1plate.

2. A Bourdon type fluid pressure gauge comprising, in combination, a nipple provided with a shank having a lateral recess, a, movement assembly mounted on said shank in the face of said recess and comprising a top plate having a shaft bearing hole, an indicating pointer shaft supported by said plate in such bearing hole, an indicating pointer secured to the front end of said shaft for rotary adjustment with respect thereto, and a disk-shaped dial plate mounted directly7 on and completely masking said top plate, said dial plate having a central hole through which said shaft extends and also having a graduated iluid pressure scale disposed back of said pointer, a cylindrical case having a back secured to said shank opposite the face of said recess, said case also hav- Ying a wall opening through which said nipple eX- tends, and a transparent cover removably mounted on said case in frontof said dial plate, said top plate having a series of screw threaded holes arranged in a circle about the center of said shaft bearing hole, such screw threaded holes being disposed in at least two diametrically opposite pairs, and said dial plate having a single pair only of diametrically opposite screw holes adapted to coincide with a selected pair of said screw thread-V ed holes in said top plate when the dial plate is turned about said shaft to a desired position, and a pair of screws engaging said screw threaded holes in the plate and extending through said screw holes the dial plate, securing said dial plate against movement relatively thereto in the desired position ori-said top plate.

BRYNOLD C. NEUSTRAND.

REFERENCES CITED Y The following referencesV are of record in the file of this patent:Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Y Name Date Re. 19,709 Peace Sept, 17, 1935 1,610,304 Mabie Decfl/l, 1926 2,237,653Y Chatillon Apr. 8, 1941 

